North & South discussion

Can anyone recommend a good sequel or variation on North sand South.
Thanks Myra

My favorite sequel to the book is an unpublished work found at an internet forum for N&S/ Richard Armitage lovers: C19. If you join the site you can read many variations stories for free. 'Pack Clouds Away' is my favorite and is a perfect sequel to the book. I also love 'True North' and all the variations written by a member named Kleindog.
If you love the romance part of the story, you may well enjoy my two stories: A Heart for Milton and In Consequence. They're available to read for free at C19 or for purchase at Amazon, etc.
I can't heartily recommend any other for sale stories because I'm really very particular that the characters and story stay true to Gaskell's creation.

You have written some?! Oh! I must have a look!

Wow they sound brilliant! I love what if variations of P&P so I should try these for N&S! And you say they have a bigger focus on the romance?! That will be right up my street! (Are they still clean stories?)

Soph wrote: "Wow they sound brilliant! I love what if variations of P&P so I should try these for N&S! And you say they have a bigger focus on the romance?! That will be right up my street! (Are they still clea..."

I wanted to read A Heart for Milton, but when I looked at the reviews I saw that it wasn't clean ):

For part of my stories, they are married and face challenges together. So I couldn't avoid covering their physical union and great attraction to physical unity. But they're married, and I can't see anything wrong with describing a little of the beauty and potent emotions that accompany the unique relationship between a husband and wife newly married and very much in love. I tried to keep things sweet and tasteful as much as possible while still describing the intensity of feelings.
In short, the honeymoon chapters are rated a gentle R and the rest of their married life I only allude to their intimate encounters.
I don't like smut and never ever read books that have a cover with a half-dressed man on it. Lol!

Thanks Trudy. That sounds ok for me.

So which is your favourite of the two?

I want to read them both - more romance between Thornton and Margaret yes please! A Heart For Milton I really want to read!

Thank you Trudy! It still sounds outside my comfort zone, but Soph if you read it and you think it's really good and well worth it, I would love to give it a try. I love N&S and wouldn't mind more romance between Thornton and Margaret! :)

A Heart for Milton was born of my great love for Gaskell's story. I just wanted to see them happy after all they went through in the original! It's my favorite because it was my first, and flowed from me in an amazing way I'll never forget.

In Consequence is a fun look at another twist in the story, but it can never quite be the same as my first. But some have loved it better. They're both terribly romantic! That's my style.

I think I will have to read them - I love romance and terribly romantic is definitely me! And if it is tastefully done I think it will be fine for me!

I'll let you know Anne - once I have read my review requests I currently have I will get to these I think!

Anne wrote: "Thank you Trudy! It still sounds outside my comfort zone, but Soph if you read it and you think it's really good and well worth it, I would love to give it a try. I love N&S and wouldn't mind more ..."

If you read my stories at C19, the small R-rated sections in the honeymoon chapter (one honeymoon chapter for each story) are edited out! ;)

Trudy wrote: "Anne wrote: "Thank you Trudy! It still sounds outside my comfort zone, but Soph if you read it and you think it's really good and well worth it, I would love to give it a try. I love N&S and wouldn..."

Oh really? That's great, thank you for letting me know! :)

@Soph - Thank you too, and I hope you enjoy them!!

What a lovely and helpful conversation! :)

I've wanted to read Trudy's books ever since I found out they existed, but I just haven't got around to them yet, unfortunately. They sound really beautiful, and the covers are extremely pretty as well. :) I think I'll order them along with my next purchase of Georgette Heyer novels.

I'm not usually a forum type of girl, but it sounds like I should at least have a glance over C19...

I might have to buy them as well!

Maybe if we ended up getting them around the same time we could read them together? :) Strangely enough I don't think we've ever read something together outside of a group read...

Good idea! As I said I am swamped with review requests right now though!

Yay! :) That's all right, it'll probably take me at least a little while to get them anyway.

Trudy, thank you so much for refering us to Pack Clouds Away. I was in the mood for some N&S fan fiction and I've been reading it this morning. So, so beautiful! I can easily see why it is a favourite of yours. She should publish it! I would buy it!

Brenda wrote: "Trudy, thank you so much for refering us to Pack Clouds Away. I was in the mood for some N&S fan fiction and I've been reading it this morning. So, so beautiful! I can easily see why it is a favour..."

Glad you loved it. 'Pack Clouds Away' really is the perfect sequel to the book, isn't it? In the same style and tone.

Now -- would you recommend my stories as worthy romantic variations? ;)
I shied away from writing a direct sequel. I love putting a twist in the story to see how the characters would act in new situations.

This is probably a really dumb question, but there are times when the internet and I really don't get on, so...

How do I find "Pack Clouds Away"? I don't usually read fan fiction, but everyone seems to think so well of this one that I'm positively intrigued. :)

Google 'c19' and find the Proboards forum called C19. At that site there is a section entitled "The Further Adventures of N&S" and under that you'll find a long, long list in which "Pack Clouds Away by Lucy" can be found if you look for it alphabetically under "P."

Thank you Trudy!

Also, would you mind if I put your two books on the group bookshelf? I know I haven't read them as yet, but I am planning to and I'm sure they'll be wonderful. Besides, I think the covers would look very pretty on the bookshelf. :)

By all means, if it seems acceptable to do so.
I love the covers! A C19 friend (a fellow Armitage admirer!) who works as a graphic artist created them for me. They are beautiful.

Well, they're N&S related, so I don't see why not. :)

So do I! They are very beautiful, your friend is very talented.

Trudy-
Thanks for the update on the fan fic. I signed up for the board and could not find the story you referenced. I have read both of your books from Amazon and enjoyed them both.

Myra wrote: "Trudy-
Thanks for the update on the fan fic. I signed up for the board and could not find the story you referenced. I have read both of your books from Amazon and enjoyed them both."

Try this link: http://c19.proboards.com/thread/23957...

Glad you enjoyed my stories.

There are some amazing N&S continuations at c19. I have read several, including Trudy's two wonderful ones. Some are direct sequels/continuations and some put a twist in the original plot (a lot of times it seems to be a "what if" type of thing). I have been amazed at the wonderful writing on the site. :)

There's a new N&S variation story that I can heartily recommend. "How Far the World May Bend" has a time-twist element to it, and is a wonderfully written, emotional ride through the story. Lots of Thornton angst - my favorite!
Here it is at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/How-Far-World-W...

Thanks Trudy! I'm not sure it would be my thing, personally - I think having a twist to the story and a time travel element would be a little too much for me to take, I'm sure there are others in the group who would enjoy it. :) Thornton angst... always a good thing! LOL.

I'll read it! Thanks for the link. Can't find it on Goodreads anywhere though?

Brenda wrote: "I'll read it! Thanks for the link. Can't find it on Goodreads anywhere though?"

I just added it to the Goodreads list. And I just reviewed it (as I did at Amazon).

Thank you, found it

Thanks for the recommendation Trudy, I've added it to my wishlist :)

I must confess that the author of this time-twist N&S story is my editor and a personal friend, but she's a wonderful writer! :)
She's also written a Guy/Marian fic that is fabulous - Grant What I Wish, available to read at Wattpad and at C19. It's a must-read if you loved Richard Armitage's Guy of Gisbourne.

Backing up Trudy in her praise of this author :)

Trudy wrote: "I must confess that the author of this time-twist N&S story is my editor and a personal friend, but she's a wonderful writer! :)
She's also written a Guy/Marian fic that is fabulous - Grant What I ..."

Ah, I've still got that saved to my favourites, but I still haven't had time to read it! -_- Really must do that, especially since I finished watching the Robin Hood series - is it the seventh time now, pretty much consecutively? - last night.

Trudy, I just finished both A Heart for Milton and In Consequence and I LOVED them ... I just can't seem to get enough of John and Margaret.

I also read Grant Me What I Wish by Nancy Klein .... it was the first variation story I ever read and I really loved it .... this is the way Robin Hood should have been written ... with a happy ending for Guy.

Now I'm hooked on these alternative stories and am looking for more .... especially if they are centered around the characters portrayed by Richard Armitage.

I look forward to more of your stories and any recommendations you, or anyone else here, may have for me :-)

Clo

@ Clo:

I read both of those over my mid-year break, about five weeks ago, and I thought they were absolutely amazing too. :) Perhaps just a teensy bit too much smouldering in 'In Consequence', but otherwise they were utterly perfect. <3

Ah, I wish my life wasn't so busy! I'm going to have to promise myself to read 'Grant What I Wish' sometime over the next week, seeing as everyone speaks so highly of it. *determined face*

If I find any Richard Armitage-based story variations, I will let you know! But I probably won't be much help - I tend to be on the receiving end of the recommendations most of the time, because variations aren't generally my first port of call, for several reasons.

@ Becca, thanks so much for your reply .... trust me, you'll love GMWIW :-)

Thanks ... I only just got into variation stories ... didn't think I would enjoy them but now I realize if it's well written it can be fun :-)

Thanks, Clorinda! I'm so glad you enjoyed my stories. I've recommended a few other stories on this thread. There are other good N&S stories at C19.proboards.com
"True North" by Damaris is good (at C19)

Hi Trudy :-) yes, I loved them. I saw your post last night about the C19 proboards. I tried to register and had the most awful time ... it just wouldn't take my registration so I gave up :-(

Clorinda wrote: "@ Becca, thanks so much for your reply .... trust me, you'll love GMWIW :-)

Thanks ... I only just got into variation stories ... didn't think I would enjoy them but now I realize if it's well wri..."

Yeah, I'm starting to realise the same thing. :) I'm still generally uneasy with variations on an established story, but can try and ignore my uneasiness if it's a variation I'm interested in and it's brilliantly written.

I am currently reading How Far the World May Bend by Nancy Klein and thoroughly enjoying it! Does anyone know what her username is on c19 so I can read some of her other stories if there are any? Is it Kleindog?

Oh, I found her, she is Kleindog :)

You can also find her on wattpad....that's where I found her :)

Ooohhh... I just googled wattpad ... how exciting - any recommendations of stories I should read? Which are the good ones?

Uf...there are so many there but you should definitely read Grant what I wish from Ms. Klein . http://www.wattpad.com/story/24977-gr...
Eternal flame from flights of fantasy - http://www.wattpad.com/story/10665388... Promised soul from jacksan68 - http://www.wattpad.com/story/11676687... and everything from littleLo(I love that girl!) - http://www.wattpad.com/user/littleLo (her profile page)

There were also two books that have been published since I read them...one is The Robber Knight and it's still fully on wattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/story/4840559-... (I wrote a review for it on GR ans the sequel is being written and published on wattpad as we speak) and To love a wild Irishman (an extremely funny book) but the author left only first5 chapters after the publication. :/

Thanks! I will check them all out! :)

There's a new blog called The Armitage Authors Network that will be interviewing Armitage-inspired authors and reviewing books/stories (many based upon RA characters). I've just reviewed a N&S variation story at the site today: https://armitageauthors.wordpress.com...